The second court hearing of now shuttered Zaman’s former Konya correspondent Şirin Kabakçı, will be held at İstanbul 35. High Criminal Court this Thursday.
Şirin Kabakçı was arrested on 1 May, 2017 and sent to Konya prison where he spent almost 14 months before appearing before a judge for the first time in June, 2018. He is accused of "membership in a terrorist organization", having alleged links to the Gulenist movement, led by Fethullah Gülen, which according to the Turkish government is responsible for the failed coup attempt in 2016.
Kabakçı submitted his defence in the first court hearing via the judicial video conferencing system, known as SEGBİS and rejected all allegations the prosecutor made against him. The evidence presented against him involved his phone calls with others who are charged with similar accusations, his trips abroad and his participation in protests against the imprisonment of his colleagues at Zaman. The court ruled for the continuation of his detention and adjourned the hearing until 16 August. Kabakçı’s hearing will be held at İstanbul 35. High Criminal Court, this Thursday.
